I owe you BIG time Fishsta.... If we can get that many people registered from your band overnight tonight, well, it's e-drinks all round :wink:

Fishsta's da man!!!!

... perhaps I could introduce a points system... the more people you introduce, and the more posts you make, the more points you earn...!!! Shall have a think on that one...!! :?

Keppler

29.11.2002, 13:39

... perhaps I could introduce a points system... the more people you introduce, and the more posts you make, the more points you earn...!!!

are there prizes? logod t shirts and mugs and stuff?? ;)

TheMusicMan

29.11.2002, 13:52

Hi keppler

I am presently discussing 'promotional material' (car stickers, magnets, cups, sweat-shirts etc) with a supplier - this is the easy bit. What is not so easy is the implementation and development of a MOD for a points system. It is possible, but I'll have to do a bit more of an analysis into the costs and how much work/effort is involved to implement this type of scoring system...

I'll also need to cover costs somehow ... :roll:

Keppler

29.11.2002, 13:59

hey, I wasn't overly serious.. ;)
It is an interesting idea though - if the cost/effort/benefit ratio is right

Fishsta

29.11.2002, 15:00

Since we're talking points and prizes, I'll tell you about another forum I'm part of...

For a while they had a points structure. Basically, every post won you 5 points. Every post anybody made in a thread YOU had started earned you 3 points (I think). There was also the ability to "rate" posts. So if someone started posting lots of rubbish just to get more points, people could "disapprove" their posts, and they would lose a point for every disapproval. Anything significantly consructive could be "approved", and earned the poster another 10 points.

Points could be spent in the "store", where you could pay to change your avatar, your forum title, your nickname, someone elses forum title, purchase a "glow" for your nickname, and so on. You could also donate points to other users, and enter a "lottery" whereby you could win thousands of points.

Finally, if you had less than 0 points, you couldn't post at all.

Unfortunately, someone found a bug in the system, and they found they could rate posts more than once if they did it in a particular way. So, two people approved each others' posts multiple times, and they were suddenly the "richest" people on the forums. Then it all got tore down and put "back to basics" because it caused the webmaster lots problems with his SQL databases.

IMHO, I'd say that a forum should be a forum, and not a free for all points competition. Maybe it's a case of striking a balance.

I think promotional material is a great idea, though! :idea:

rutty

29.11.2002, 22:20

96 registered so far - only 4 to go. Who will it be....?

dave jake

29.11.2002, 22:24

Three players registered on this site from Dunston Silver Band at mo,more to follow :lol:

dave Jake: that's just so good to hear. I really appreciate everyone's help here... thanks a million... :D

spookybiking

30.11.2002, 02:19

Hopefully even better in months to come 8)

Fishsta

30.11.2002, 10:18

This scene has the potential to become VERY big...

Is the Brass Band mailing list still going? I was on that about 5 years ago, but Compuserve introduced "Spam" filters that blocked the whole thing...

There was a HELL of a lot of people on that... I often received 120 emails every few hours. Maybe some (or all) of them will join here.

TheMusicMan

30.11.2002, 11:28

Wehey... we've done it.

Congrats to AberEuph for becoming the 100th registered member of theMouthPiece.com

Thankyou everyone for your support... :D

TheMusicMan

30.11.2002, 11:37

This scene has the potential to become VERY big...

Is the Brass Band mailing list still going? I was on that about 5 years ago, but Compuserve introduced "Spam" filters that blocked the whole thing...

There was a HELL of a lot of people on that... I often received 120 emails every few hours. Maybe some (or all) of them will join here.

Fishsta - if we can get the message across to everyone that this is THE place to discuss Brass Band 'stuff', THE place to get concert/contest info, and most importantly THE place to meet great, like minded people - we're on the way... :D

Let's hope some of the members of that Compuserve list you elude to discover theMouthPiece.com.

Incidentally... let's encourage some more of this festive "avatar hat" spirit eh... :D If anyone wants an 'Avatar Xmas Hat' - see me or Fishsta... :wink:

Fishsta

30.11.2002, 14:02

Incidentally... let's encourage some more of this festive "avatar hat" spirit eh... :D If anyone wants an 'Avatar Xmas Hat' - see me or Fishsta... :wink:

lol... yeah, why not?

It's not like I have anything else to do on a Saturday afternoon! :)

Actually, that's right... today I haven't... :(

Email 'em if you want 'em.... boneafish@aol.com

Heather

30.11.2002, 19:16

Congratulations on your 100th!!!!!!!!
I have to say that this is by far the best Brass Band site going...WEll Done!!

TheMusicMan

30.11.2002, 19:29

Thankyou for your support Heather... here's to the next 100 then eh ...?

Well done to you as well... on your Xmas spirit Avatar!!

dave jake

08.12.2002, 20:46

See already half way to the next hundred 8)

TheMusicMan

08.12.2002, 20:47

yeehaaaa.... who's next then...???

Thanks for the encouraging feedback dave. It would be great if we could break the 200 mark by Christmas - even more would be superb!. I have an advert in Brass Band World which comes out this week. Hopefully that might prompt a few more people to visit and register.

Fingers crossed eh...

spookybiking

08.12.2002, 21:23

World wide site soon . im sure alot of people will visit, interesting to see how many countries they are all from cos its all ready gone far and wide now.

Curiosity_Kills

20.03.2004, 16:43

I found this bit of history on page 51 of Random Chat

super_sop

20.03.2004, 17:25

hehe just had a read through it, and it seems funny now we are up to 2000+ members. well done to everyone for keeping it
"simply the best brass forum on the web"

2nd man down

21.03.2004, 14:44

Yeah, it's amazing how quickly word of a good thing spreads.

We just had a couple of band members mention it recently and as a consequence i think we've had 4 or 5 members register this week alone making it 8 Emley banders now tMPers!! (And we're gonne keep working on the rest too!!)

Sopha

19.12.2006, 21:35

Wow that was in 2004 we have 7,693 members now!! .. and well said Heather this is most certainly the best brass band site ever!!